The Media is reporting inaccurate information!!!

This should come as no surprise to anyone that has been reading my blog for sometime now. But yet again the media has twisted the message from scientific research to make a good headline. This proliferation of inaccurate information is terrible! This is the latest (that was actually on the Yahoo homepage so lot's of people are getting bad information).

"Grape juice seems to have the same protective effect against heart disease as red wine, French scientists said on Wednesday."

WRONG!

Apparently they don't have Medline in France. This conclusion is a huge stretch and actually the opposite is probably true. I have recently written a review article (soon to be published) on the different effects lifestyle changes can have on HDL (or good cholesterol). This included looking at the effects of red wine (and other alcohols) on cholesterol and other predictors of heart disease. Several studies compare wine vs. wine extract (essentially just the antioxidants) or wine vs. grape juice and the wine always has the greatest effect.

"But Schini-Kerth, whose research was partly funded by Welch Foods Inc which is a leading producer of grape juice, said little information is available on the levels of polyphenols in grape juice."

That's an interesting disclosure. I'm not against food industry funded studies only when crazy claims are made to make their products look better. I can only imagine Welch's marketing campaign now.

"The scientists were studying cells from pigs, which provide a good model for studying human cells."

This is another important piece of information. The researchers were studying pig cells in a dish. Not human cells. Not even pig cells in a pig. These findings should be taken with a big grain of sea salt! Especially because prior research in live humans has shown that the alcohol is the important part when it comes to modifying cholesterol levels and heart disease risk factors.

Here's the link to the article.

Tags: wine, heart disease, polyphenols, misinformation

Great Cooking Tips from Eating Well

I just came across this great mini article over at eatingwell.com. This is the great food magazine that I spoke about on the most recent issue of Max-Out Radio.

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Think Like a Chef
You don't have to be a short-order cook to create meals in a hurry, but we can all learn some culinary wisdom from those who can prepare hundreds of meals in a single day. Follow these short-order steps to make healthy meals easy.

1. Relax, put on some music and pour yourself a cup of tea. A composed cook is a more efficient one.

2. Read the recipe through ahead of time so you know everything that’s going to happen. Take a minute to imagine doing the steps.

3. Lay out your prepared ingredients in bowls. Having everything at your fingertips means the dish will come together faster. Cutting an onion before you start to cook is actually a time-saver; cutting it after the cooking has already begun wastes time—you have to take the skillet off the heat, then heat it back up when you’re done chopping. That being said, remember that quick cooking is about getting maximal results in minimal time. So, for instance, if a recipe calls for cooking an ingredient first, make use of that cooking time to get other prep work done.

4. Room-temperature vegetables cook faster than cold ones. While we don’t advocate letting meat, poultry, fish or dairy sit out, we do let our vegetables come to room-temperature so they will sear quickly, cook evenly and blend more readily with other ingredients.

5. Substitute carefully. Although some substitutions seem obvious, they can be tricky business. A ruined dish is a waste of time. See The Well-Stocked Pantry.

6. Measure accurately. Nothing wrecks a quick-cooking sauté like a double portion of flour or an overdose of salt.

7. Work in a bigger bowl than you think you need. Ever seen someone try to make tuna salad for four in a cereal bowl? Get out the big bowls—you’ll avoid a mess on the counter, and you won’t have to transfer contents to bigger bowls once they become unwieldy.

8. Do messy work in the sink. Stir batters, coatings and spice mixtures in bowls set in the sink. Spills are simply washed down the drain.

9. Turn up the heat. While you shouldn’t sauté onions in butter over high heat (the butter solids will burn and the onions will then stick and scorch), you also shouldn’t do so over low (the onions will just wilt and turn greasy). Don’t be afraid of higher temperatures—within reason. If you’re minding the skillet, the ingredients will not burn.

10. Always have towels and oven mitts at the ready. And make sure they’re dry. Wet mitts conduct heat right to your hands.

11. Clean up as you cook. Put things in the dishwasher while you’re waiting for the onions to soften, or wash the cutting boards and mixing bowls while you’re waiting for the tomato sauce to come to a simmer. Always put each tool back in the same place—so you will know exactly where to find it next time. Aim to start and finish with a clean kitchen. (Don’t be afraid to recruit help from the ranks of those who will be eating what you cook.)

12. A watched pot always boils. Pay attention to the dish as it cooks; don’t just set a timer and leave it. All timing guidelines are just that: guidelines, not laws. Pay more attention to visual and olfactory cues.

Tags: cooking tips, food, recommendations

See Mike Roussell Live

Here's an exciting announcement that I've been waiting to announce and today's the day!. On April 13th & 14th I will be speaking at the JP Fitness Summit in Little Rock, AR.

The focus of my talk will be Nutrient Timing and how to maximize its potential. The summit will be full of several other incredible speakers such as Chad Waterbury, Charles Staley, Alwyn Cosgrove, Bill Hartman, Coach dos Remedios, and Lou Schuler. I am honored to be speaking with this crowd as they are all incredible men.

You can find more about the event at JP Fitness Summit. I hope to see you there!

What Products Do I Buy??

I get lots of emails with people asking me about what products I buy/use so here are a couple.

*Workout Pass - I just got a membership here and am blown away by the sheer volume of workouts. How could I ever complete over 100 workouts by alwyn cosgrove??

*OmegaRx Fish Oil - I've used this product for well over 2 years.

*Surge - My favorite PWO shake. I find myself actually craving the taste - weird huh?

*Metabolic Drive - My (and my wife's) favorite protein powder, hands down!

*Xtend by Scivation - A tasty BCAA supplement that comes in some great flavors

*ZMA by Optimum Nutrition - ZMA definitely improves my sleep.

*Hot-Rox Extreme This is a solid product that definitely will get you amped up.


I usually like to keep my supplementation simple. When I start using some different products I'll update my blog with changes.


*Note: By clicking on the links for Xtend, ZMA, or HRX you'll be able to save %10 on your orders.

Tags: supplements, fish oil, bcaa, recommendations, bodybuilding.com

Video Friday - Amazing Strength

I am often amazed by the upper body strength of rock climbers. Just think about how many chin up you can do? Imagine doing that over and over and over...just incredible. Here's a great video of a rock climber. Enjoy!

Tags: rock climbing, youtube, strength, chin ups